This week, Dr Joanne Paul chats with literary historian and activist, Dr Mary Rambaran-Olm.

Mary is the Provost's Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto, in the Faculty of English and Drama, having completed a Phd in English at the University of Glasgow.
Her work explores race in early medieval England, drawing on the theoretical theories of Stuart Hall. Her translation of the old english poem The Descent Into Hell  was praised as "accurate and readable", as well as bringing new insight into the idea of time in the poem.

Joanne asks Mary how she approaches the past through the lens of a literary historian and what in particular she feels the examination of literary sources helps her in the understanding of the old english period. Mary also talks about how her parents helped fire her love for history  about the importance of activism within her work.

A Viral History Podcast. Hosted by Dr Joanne Paul, Produced by Paul Bradshaw, and Researched by Isabel Wilson.